Walnut Creek Celebrates Newly Remodeled Ice Rink at Winter Ice Gala January 14 Featuring Award-Winning Ice Dancers, Figure Skaters

WALNUT CREEK, CA--(Marketwire - Dec 29, 2011) - Award-winning ice dancers and figure skaters will help to celebrate the new Walnut Creek winter Ice Rink at a formal "Winter Ice Gala" January 14 at the Walnut Creek Ice Rink. Mike Chack, US National Men's Bronze Medalist and Olympic Festival Champion skater, will be among the skaters performing at the Gala. Among other talented performers, Dan Ashley, anchor of ABC-7 news, will perform an ice dance as well as sing with his band PUSH.

The Walnut Creek on Ice Rink, which has a much larger, covered rink this year, is brought to the community by the Walnut Creek Chamber and Visitor's Bureau and the Downtown Business Association. The Ice Rink Committee is coordinating the evening to celebrate the ice rink's seventh year of operation and its first year with the 8,000 square foot rink remodel. The evening festivities take place in heated rink side tents and include dinner catered from Scott's Seafood Bar & Grill, wine donated from Shadowbrook Winery and vodka donated from SF Vodka.

Other evening entertainment includes jazz from Jack Pollard's Party of Two, ice sculpting and a silent auction. Dan Ashley, a Walnut Creek resident and a veteran ABC-7 news anchor, will express the showman side of himself with an ice dance performance with partner, Paulette Bleam, and a rock performance singing lead with his five-piece band, PUSH.

The Ice Rink is co-chaired by Angela De La Housaye, incoming Walnut Creek Chamber Chairman, attorney and founder of the law firm De La Housaye & Associates, and Neil Gerstner, an attorney at Davenport, Gerstner & McClure. "We are thrilled with the popularity and community support for the Rink this year and by the rapid pace of advance ticket sales for the Gala. This will be an incredible evening," said Ms. De La Housaye who is also chairing the Gala. "It will help support our Walnut Creek Ice Rink as well as providing a refreshing winter evening event. The Rink brings in many skaters and visitors from Walnut Creek and the surrounding towns and we've heard such positive feedback and enthusiasm for the Rink and its improvements."

Tickets are available online at www.walnut-creek.com and cost $125 per person. The Gala begins at 6:30PM and runs through 11PM. More information is also available at 925-934-2007.